Cub scouts, parents, siblings and friends have spent the last several weeks carving a car from a block of pine, painting, and adding wheels to their racers. Last night was weigh-in, a fun and frantic time of tweaking and adjusting the cars’ weigh to the limit of five ounces. And tonight, the engines will roar.

Metaphorically, of course.

The track is a gravity-powered ramp, outfitted with an electronic timer, and the cars have no engines. But the boys will make up for the lack of horsepower with some internal combustion of their own! The pinewood derby is historically a really exciting event for all involved. There will be no shortage of “vrooms” and other assorted pitstop sounds!

Cub Scouting is a fun character-building program for boys in Grades 1-5 that helps boys grow into good men and good citizens. If done well, the boys don’t notice their learning good things because of all the fun they are having! The derby is a fine example, teaching planning, woodworking, preparedness, and sportsmanship. All of that is veiled with a strong dose of speed, cool cars, and the race itself.

So, come to St. Dominic’s Church in Northfield tonight at 6:00 pm for a night at the races! Bring your son!